BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) shares have been on fire over the past 12 months.

Thanks largely to their exposure to the booming copper price, the mining giants have hit record highs in recent weeks.

One ASX copper share that is nowhere near its high is Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX: AIS).

But it might not stay that way for long if Bell Potter is on the money with its recommendation.

What is the broker saying about this ASX copper share?

Bell Potter notes that Aeris Resources is close to completing its acquisition of Peel Mining Ltd (ASX: PEX). This will give it ownership of the Mallee Bull and Wirlong copper projects. It said:

The Scheme of Arrangement by which AIS has acquired 100% of Peel Mining (PEX, not rated) has become effective. The transaction gives AIS ownership of the Mallee Bull and Wirlong copper projects which contain a combined Resource of 10.6Mt @ 1.85% Cu for 197kt contained Cu. They sit within a ~150-200km trucking radius of Tritton. Combined with the current Resource at Tritton this is a total Resource of 29.5 Mt @ 1.73% Cu for 511kt contained Cu. Consideration is all scrip, comprising the issue of 300.0m shares to PEX shareholders and is expected to complete on 1 July 2026.

It sees a lot of positives from the deal, highlighting that it adds development optionality and derisks production. The broker explains:

The strategic rationale is to significantly increase AIS’ Cobar region resource base, materially extending the mine life at Tritton, adding development optionality and derisking production. The high-grade Mallee Bull deposit is the subject of a maiden Ore Reserve Estimate (ORE) to be released in 1QFY27 and contribute to an updated life-of-mine (LOM) plan for Tritton.

Additionally, we expect an updated ORE for the Constellation deposit, as well as Resource extensions at Avoca Tank and Budgerygar deposits where recent drilling has intersected ore-grade mineralisation significantly below the current Resource at Avoca Tank and thicker than expected mineralisation within in the Budgerygar Inferred Resource. These acquisitions and exploration successes are providing more visibility on mine life at Tritton than at any time since its initial development.

Major upside potential

According to the note, Bell Potter has retained its buy rating and 90 cents price target on the ASX copper share.

Based on its current share price of 40.2 cents, this implies potential upside of 120% for investors over the next 12 months.

Speaking about its investment thesis, the broker said:

We make no material changes to our valuation with this update. We continue to look to AIS’ quarterly production performance and updates on the development of the Constellation deposit at Tritton for key near-term catalysts. AIS is a copper-dominant producer, with its near-term outlook highly leveraged to the copper price and increasing production at Tritton.

Tritton is a strategic regional asset with corporate appeal and capacity to leverage value from stranded assets, in our view. With upside to our Target Price supported by growing free cash flow and low valuation multiples it remains a key pick for CY26. Our Target Price of $0.90/sh is unchanged and we maintain our Buy recommendation.

The post Forget BHP and Rio Tinto, this ASX copper share could rise 100%+ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA) share price is in focus after the company announced the successful restart of its Residue Catalytic Cracking Unit at the Geelong Refinery, with production set to return to over 90% of normal capacity following April’s fire. For April and May 2026, the Geelong Refining Margin was US$23.9 per barrel from a refining intake of 6.5 million barrels.

What did Viva Energy Group report?

• Restart of the Residue Catalytic Cracking Unit (RCCU) at Geelong Refinery, restoring production to over 90% of normal capacity
• Geelong Refining Margin (GRM) averaged US$23.9 per barrel for April and May 2026
• Refining intake reached 6.5 million barrels over the two-month period
• Alkylation unit remains offline, impacting gasoline production from LPG by-product
• Assessment of Alkylation unit repair or replacement options is underway

What else do investors need to know?

Viva Energy’s swift action means most refining operations are now back online, significantly boosting capacity after April’s incident. However, the Alkylation unit, which helps turn LPG into gasoline, will remain offline through 2027; the company is currently assessing its options to either repair or replace this equipment.

The incident has also prompted a detailed investigation, with early findings pointing to a failure in the Alkylation unit’s piping as the cause. Insurance discussions for property damage and business interruption are ongoing, helping to manage financial impacts.

What’s next for Viva Energy Group?

Viva Energy is prioritising the repair or replacement of the Alkylation unit, but expects Geelong Refinery will operate at slightly reduced capacity into 2027. The restart of the RCCU should help the company improve refining margins and product yields as it returns to normal operations.

The company will continue its investigation into the incident’s cause and work closely with insurers as part of its recovery plan.

Viva Energy Group share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Viva Energy shares have declined 1%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 4% over the same period.

View Original Announcement

The post Viva Energy Group: Geelong Refinery nears full capacity after fire appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

The Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI) share price is in focus after the company announced a successful $300 million equity raising, with the institutional placement and entitlement offer both completed.

What did Centuria Capital Group report?

• Raised approximately $200 million from an institutional placement
• Secured about $65 million through the institutional component of a 1-for-17 entitlement offer
• Combined institutional raise totals approximately $265 million
• Retail entitlement offer to open, aiming to raise an additional $35 million
• New securities issued at $2.00 per security
• Settlement and allotment to occur on 30 June and 1 July 2026 respectively

What else do investors need to know?

The institutional component of Centuria’s entitlement offer was strongly supported, with around 82% take-up by eligible institutional securityholders. Approximately 133 million new securities will be issued and will rank equally with existing holdings.

The retail entitlement offer opens on 26 June and closes on 7 July 2026. Eligible securityholders in Australia and New Zealand on record as of 24 June will be invited to participate. Normal trading in Centuria shares is expected to resume today, 23 June 2026.

What’s next for Centuria Capital Group?

Centuria expects to use the proceeds from the equity raising to strengthen its balance sheet and support future growth initiatives. Full details for retail investors will be provided in the offer booklet, with all new securities issued ranking equally from the date of issue.

Looking ahead, management highlighted a continued focus on investment opportunities across real estate and bond products, aiming to capitalise on its strong assets under management and investor demand in key sectors.

Centuria Capital Group share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Centuria Capital Group shares have risen 26%, outperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 4% over the same period.

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The post Centuria Capital Group wraps up $300m equity raise and shares resume trading appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Viva Energy Group: Geelong Refinery nears full capacity after fire
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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.